News, Community, and Historical Thinking

Old Pictures Get New Life on Shorpy

Shorpy, the self-proclaimed “100-Year-Old Photo Blog,” displays images from the “dawn of photography to the 1940s.” Images like, “Cutting Crew: 1911,” of child laborers; “Barber Shop Octet: 1943,” of Japanese-American women in a World War II relocation camp; and “Brooklyn Bridge: c. 1915.” These photos span the decades and are accompanied by brief explanations, photo credits, and more information when available. The site offers little explanation as to who created it and why it exists, but simply states that it’s a place where people can share their “own vintage photographs.”

One of the most interesting aspects of the site is its namesake: Shorpy Higginbotham, a “greaser” who worked in an Alabama coalmine in the early 1900s. If your interest is piqued by this young man, the photo blog links to a site by writer Joe Manning, where readers can find out even more about Shorpy’s history.

While sometimes short on content, the Shorpy photo blog offers an always-interesting glance into America’s past. Besides, who needs text when the pictures speak volumes?